Strainer assembly for floor drains



Octl, 1967 F. H. STRICKLAND 3,349,917

STRAINER ASSEMBLY FOR FLOOR DRAINS Filed May 6, 1965 TTORNf-y United States Patent O 3,349,917 STRAINER ASSEMBLY FOR FLOOR DRAINS Frank H. Strickland, Lake Quivira, Kansas City, Kans. 66106 Filed May 6, 1965, Ser. No. 453,795 3 Claims. (Cl. ZIO-164) ABSTRACT F THE DISCLOSURE A strainer assembly for oor drains wherein a rotatable valving disc is mounted on the under face of the strainer disc with means to selectively close the openings in the strainer disc to prevent backilow.

This invention relates to floor drains, and more particularly to a strainer assembly therefor which includes means for closing oif the apertures therein.

Many floor drains are installed in places where the sewers to which they are connected are apt to backow because of insufcient capacity, leakage into the sewer of surface water during heavy rainstorms, or stoppage by roots, cave-ins, and the like. Also, in some installations flow into the drain may be .insuiceint to maintain a waterseal under evaporation, consequently sewer gases can escape through the strainer. These condi-tions may be corrected in part by installing a Hoor drain having a backflow valve that opens automatically to allow flow into the sewer and that closes automatically to shut oirr backilow from the sewer. However, replacement of ordinary drains by the installation of a drain equipped with a backflow valve is costly, and there is no assurance that the backilow valve functions properly at all times, due to lodging of sewage material that preventsV the valve element from closing. A drain with a backflow valve that fails to seat is little better than the ordinary floor drain. The objectionable conditions can be corrected through close watch over the floor drain, but often a homeowner leaves on an extended trip, and there is a constant worry that the sewer may backilow through the drain, or that the waterseal may become depleted during his absence. He desires positive assurance that these conditions cannot happen.

Also, in installations where the drains are supplied with a back inlet to the bowl for drainage from a washing machine, water softener, air conditioning system, or the like, the strainer assembly can remain closed except on such rare occasions when it is desired to wash off the basement iloor.

It is, therefore, Ithe object of the present invention to provide a floor drain with a strainer assembly including means for closing the apertures of the strainer, or to provide a strainer assembly with means for closing the aperturesin the form of an assembled unit that may be substituted for the strainer of an existing floor drain installation.

Other objects of the invention are to provide a strainer unit assembly that is comparatively inexpensive, easy to install, and readily operated to close safely the apertures therein when desired.

Other objects of the invention are to provide a unit assembly which occupies a relatively small spa-ce within the bowl of a floor drain, and which may be retained by ice the same fastening devices as the original strainer which it replaces.

In accomplishing these and other objects of the invention as hereinafter described, I have provided improved structure, the preferred form of which is illustrated in the accompanying drawing, wherein:

FIG. l is a vertical perspective sectional view of a iloor drain equipped with a strainer assembly constructed in accordance with the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the parts of the strainer assembly, shown in disassembled, spaced relation to better illustrate the construction thereof.

FIG. 3 is a plan View of a portion of the floor drain, with a part of the strainer disk broken away to better illustrate the valve disk in position to establish draining therethrough.

Referring more in detail to the drawings:

1 designates a conventional floor drain including a howl 2 having an outlet 3 in the bottom thereof that is adapted to be connected through a trap (not shown) to a sewer (also not shown). The bowl 2 has an annular flange 4 that projects outwardly from the upper portion thereof to seat the floor drain in a oor 5. Inset within the upper portion of the bowl 2 and encircled by the flange 4 is an inset shoulder 6 which provides an annular seat 7 for the usual strainer, but which in the present instance is replaced rby the strainer assembly 8 of the present invention. A trap (not shown) may be of ordinary construction to retain a waterseal 9 for the outlet 3 of the bowl. The oor drain may be provided with a backflow valve to control backflow from the sewer (also not shown).

The strainer assembly 8 includes a circular disk member 10 having a diameter to iit within -the shoulder 6 and rest upon the seat 7 to form a cover for the bowl. The disk member 10 is provided with circumferentially spaced apart groups of radially arranged apertures 11 through which drainage is provided into the bowl 2. Provided in the center of the disk 10 is an opening 12 for a purpose la-ter described. The periphery of the disk is provided with diametrically opposed openings 13 that register with internally threaded openings 14 in the seat 7 of the bowl, to accommodate fastening devices 15 by which the assembly is xed to the bowl 2, as later described.

Oscillatably mounted in sliding contact with the under face 16 of the strainer disk 10 is a valving disk 17 of smaller diameter and adapted to turn within the bowl relatively to the strainer disk '10. The valving disk 17 has a face 18 complementary to the face 16, and these faces are preferably ground in lapping contact to provide a iluidtight joint therebetween. The disk 17 has radially eX- tending openings 19 of a size and shape to correspond with the respective groups of apertures 11 to provide drainage therethrough into the bowl. The openings 19 are spaced apart to provide intermediate valving portions 20 adapted to close off the respective groups of apertures and close off flow from the bowl. The valving disk 17 is held tightly against the under face 16 of the strainer disk 10 with a yielding pressure to provide easy turning thereof, as now to be described.

Fixed to and carried by the under side of the strainer disk 1() is a supporting bracket 22 which includes a horizontal spring seating portion 23 which has diametrically disposed upstanding lugs 24 and 25 that have the upper ends thereof extending into di-ametrically disposed arcuate slots 26 and 27 in the valving disk 17 and which ends of the slots provide stops 28 and 29 for engaging opposite side faces 30 and 31 of the lugs 24 and 25, to hold the valving disk 17 with the openings 19 thereof in registering relation with the groups of apertures 11 or to retain the intermediate valving p0rtions 20 of the disk in covering relation with the apertuers, as shown by the dotted lines 32 in FIG. 3.

Extending upwardly from the spring seat portion of the bracket 22 is a bushing 33 having a bore 34 to accommodate a pin 35 fixed to and depending from the center of the valving disk 17- Sleeved over the bushing 33 and having a smaller end thereof bearing upon the seat portion 23 of the bracket, land a larger end bearing on the under side of the valving disk 17, is a conical spring 36 that is held in compression when the lugs 24 and 25 of the bracket are secured to the under side of the strainer plate 17 by fastening devices such as screws 37 and 38. The screws 37 and 38 have heads 39, preferably countersunk in openings 40 in the strainer disk and which register with the internally threaded openings 41 in the lugs 24 and 25 of the bracket, the threaded Shanks 42 of the screws being threaded into the internally threaded openings 41, as shown in FIG. 1.

In order to oscillate the valving disk into and out of valving relation with the groups of apertures 11 in the strainer disk 10, the center of the valving disk 17 has an upstanding lug 43 located within the center opening 12 of the strainer disk 8 and which is adapted to be engaged by a suitable socket wrench or similar tool, not shown, to rotate the valving disk 17 into and out of its respective positions. Oil holes 44 may be provided in the lug 43 to lubricate the bearing surfaces of the pin 35 and bushing 33.

The parts may be supplied as an `assembled unit t0 t the bowl 2 of a floor drain which has been previously installed. In assembling the unit, the valving disk 17 is placed in coaxial relation with the under face 16 of the strainer disk 10, and the smaller end of the conical spring '36 is sleeved over the bushing 33 of the bracket 22. The bushing 33 of the bracket 22 is passed over the pin 35 with the lugs 24 and 25 passing through the arcuate slots 26 and 27 as the spring 36 is compressed between the seat portion 23 of the bracket and the under side of the valving disk 17. The internally threaded openings in the lugs 24 and 25 are registered with the openings 40 in the strainer disk 10 to pass the sh'anks 42 of the screws 37 and 38 and to permit turning of the threads thereon into the internally threaded openings 41 of the lugs 24 and 25, so as to rigidly x the bracket 22 to the strainer disk 10 to complete the assembly 8.

The assembled unit 8 may be furnished as a part of a Hoor drain 2, or it may be used as a replacement part for a previously installed oor drain. In the latter case, the strainer disk of the oor drain is released by removing the screws 13 and withdrawing the strainer disk from the annular shoulder 6. If the oor drain has not been provided with a gasket, the gasket 45 is preferably first seated on the seat 7, after which the annular margin-al portion of the strainer disk 10 of the assembly is seated upon the gasket, to be retained by reinsertion of the screws 13.

Ordinarily, the valving disk 17 will be positioned with the openings 19 therethrough in registry with the groups of apertures 11 in the strainer plate 10, so that water m-ay drain from the loor into the bowl 2. However, when it is desired to positively close off the apertures 11 in the strainer plate 10, a wrench will be applied to the lug 43 so as to turn the valving disk 17 to the position where the valving portions 20 thereof will close oif the groups of apertures 11 and prevent backflow from the sewer, as Well as prevent evaporation of the waterseal indicated at 9 (FIG. l). If the strainer assembly 8 of the present invention is furnished with a oor drain 1,

it will be similarly applied to the oor drain after the oor drain has been installed and connected with a sewer. In either case, the strainer assembly 8 has the same construction.

Ordinarily, the :annular seat 7 of the bowl has insufficient Width to accommodate the threaded openings 14 for the fastening devices 13, in which case inwardly extending ears 46 -are provided within the bowl, as best shown in FIG. 3, in which case opposite diametrical sides of the periphery of the valving disk will be provided with notches 47, as best shown in FIGS. 2 and 3.

What I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. A strainer assembly for a oor drain which includes a bowl having an open top and having an outlet from the bottom thereof, said strainer assembly including a disk member covering the open top of the bowl yand having :apertures therethrough for drainage into the bowl,

a valving disk having openings therein corresponding to location of the apertures in said disk member and having valving portions intermediate the openings and having diametrically disposed arcuate slots near the center thereof,

a bracket having spaced apart lugs extending through the arcuate slots,

fastening devices extending through the disk member and connected with said lugs to fix the bracket to the disk member,

resilient means carried by the bracket and bearing against the valving disk to maintain contact of the valving disk with the disk member, and

means fixed to the valving disk and extending through the disk member to turn the valving disk from one position in which the openings register with the apertures and into another position in which said valving portions cover said apertures to prevent backflow from the outlet of the bowl through said apertures of the disk member.

2. A strainer assembly for a floor drain which includes a bowl having an open top and having an outlet from the bottom thereof, said strainer assembly including a disk member covering the opening top of the bowl and having apertures therethrough for drainage into the bowl,

a valving disk having openings therein corresponding to the location of the apertures in said disk member and having valving portions intermediate the openings and having diametrically disposed arcuate slots near the center thereof,

a bracket having spaced apart lugs extending through the arcuate slots,

fastening devices extending through the disk member land connected with said lugs,

a spring carried by the bracket and bearing against the valving disk to maintain contact of the valving disk with the disk member, and

means fixed to the valving disk and extending through the disk member to turn the valving disk from one position in which the openings register with the apertures and into another position in which said valvmg portions cover said apertures to prevent backflow from the outlet of the bowl through said apertures of the disk member,

said lugs providing stops engaging ends of the slots when the valving disk is in said respective positions.

3. A strainer assembly for a Hoor drain which includes a bowl having an open top and having an outlet in the bottom thereof, said strainer assembly including a disk member covering the open top of the bowl and having apertures therethrough for drainage into the bowl,

a valving disk having openings therein corresponding to the location of the apertures in said disk member and having valving portions intermediate the openings and having diametrically disposed arcuate slots near the center thereof,

a bracket having spaced apart lugs extending through the arcuate slots,

a bushing carried by the bracket,

fastening devices extending through the disk member -and connected with said lugs,

spring means carried bythe bracket and bearing against the valving disk to maintain resilient contact of the valving disk with the disk member,

a pin depending from the center of the valving disk and turnable in the bushing to provide an axis on which the valving disk is moved, yand t f means xed to the valving disk and extending through the disk member to turn the valving disk upon said axis from one position in which the openings register with the apertures and 'into lanother position in which said valving portions cover said apertures to prevent backow from the outlet of the bowl through Isaid apertures of the disk member.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 322,961 7/1885 Neale 4 287 1,967,607 7/1934 Charmatz 4-287 10 2,246,390 6/1941 smith 21o-164 X 2,348,097 5/1944 smith 21o-1,64 x

REUBEN FRlEDMAN, Primary Examiner, 15 F. MEDLEY, Examiner. 

3. A STRAINER ASSEMBLY FOR A FLOOR DRAIN WHICH INCLUDES A BOWL HAVING AN OPEN TOP AND HAVING AN OUTLET IN THE BOTTOM THEREOF, SAID STRAINER ASSEMBLY INCLUDING A DISK MEMBER COVERING THE OPEN TOP OF THE BOWL AND HAVING APERTURES THERETHROUGH FOR DRAINAGE INTO THE BOWL, A VALVING DISK HAVING OPENINGS THEREIN CORRESPONDING TO THE LOCATION OF THE APERTURES IN SAID DISK MEMBER AND HAVING VALVING PORTIONS INTERMEDIATE THE OPENINGS AND HAVING DIAMETRICALLY DISPOSED ARCUATE SLOTS NEAR THE CENTER THEREOF, A BRACKET HAVING SPACED APART LUGS EXTENDING THROUGH THE ARCUATE SLOTS, A BUSHING CARRIED BY THE BRACKET, FASTENING DEVICES EXTENDING THROUGH THE DISK MEMBER AND CONNECTED WITH SAID LUGS, SPRING MEANS CARRIED BY THE BRACKET AND BEARING AGAINST THE VALVING DISK TO MAINTAIN RESILIENT CONTACT OF THE VALVING DISK WITH THE DISK MEMBER, A PIN DEPENDING FROM THE CENTER OF THE VALVING DISK AND TURNABLE IN THE BUSHING TO PROVIDE AN AXIS ON WHICH THE VALVING DISK IS MOVED, AND MEANS FIXED TO THE VALVING DISK AND EXTENDING THROUGH THE DISK MEMBER TO TURN THE VALVING DISK UPON SAID AXIS FROM ONE POSITION IN WHICH THE OPENINGS REGISTER WITH THE APERTURES AND INTO ANOTHER POSITION IN WHICH SAID VALVING PORTIONS COVER SAID APERTURES TO PREVENT BACKFLOW FROM THE OUTLET OF THE BOWL THROUGH SAID APERTURES OF THE DISK MEMBER. 